The artist breaks down his stage name

 

Beautiful Nubia is a two-part name.

"Beautiful" refers to a state of spiritual perfection that I seek for myself and that I think we could all aspire to; a state in which one is incapable of hatred, in which one can see beyond face, colour, faith, gender or race. You offer total love to everyone you meet, irrespective of who they are or where they are from. I want that state of perfection, and I gave myself the name as a challenge - so that each time people call me "Beautiful", I know have to stay on that path to perfection and keep getting better.

"Nubia" was the name of a nation of dark-skinned people who ruled the world thousands of years ago. They were the world leaders of their time. I use that name to remind African youth that they have not always been slaves, colonized peoples or second-class citizens of the world. People like them were once the leaders of the world in philosophy, science and the arts. Perhaps if they can tend towards that state of high spiritual beauty described above, the continent will once again experience enviable growth and progress.

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